Episodic Aftermath
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Have you ever wondered what happened between the episodes of the show? Well, this series of stories will fill you in on what the Turtles were doing between the episodes we saw. 2012 cartoon.
1. Chapter 1

Episodic Aftermath

Chapter 1: Not a Typical Father Figure

A/N: Hey, here I am with another story. I know it's weird of me to do this since I have so many other stories out there, but I just couldn't resist when this bunny bit me. I thought it would be cool to do a series of aftermath stories after the episodes, and instead of doing them as individual one shots, I thought it would be better to have them as a collection of stories. So, that's what this is. I really hope you enjoy these stories. This one will take place after Rise of the Turtles. I'll explain more in my end note. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.

Summary: Ever wonder what happened between the episodes? Well, this story is going to tell you what other adventures and situations the Turtles have gotten into.

April O'Neil had seen a lot of weird things lately. Her father had been kidnapped by aliens known as the Kraang, and she had befriended four mutant turtles who were trained in ninjitsu. At this moment, she was sitting in her room waiting for Donatello to come and get her. The Turtles had wanted her to meet their dad, and as April was curious to know more about the person who had raised the Turtles, she had agreed to finally meet him.

Suddenly, she heard tapping at her window and saw Donnie waving at her from outside. She hurried to let him in and smiled as he entered her room.

"Hi, April, ready to go?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I am," she replied.

"Great," Donnie said. "Splinter is really excited to meet you."

"Splinter?" she repeated. That was a weird name for a man. And why did the Turtles call him by his first name and not call him Dad like any normal kid?

Don chose to ignore her query and led her outside her room. He took her hand and escorted her over the rooftops until they reached a manhole cover. Then Don took the cover off and waited while April climbed down before climbing down himself and replacing the cover before he went down. As they walked, April couldn't help but be amazed that the Turtles lived down here, but she knew that they couldn't really get an apartment or anything like that.

Don stopped at the entrance and pulled the lever that would open up to their sewer home. April gasped as she took in the sight of the place, and Don laughed at her amazement before hurrying in and vaulting over the turnstiles. April walked between them because she wasn't too sure she could jump them without hurting herself.

"Hey, guys, April's here," Don announced.

Mikey was the first to come running to her. "Hey, April, nice to see you!" he said. "Welcome to our Lair!"

"Thanks, Mikey," Arpil replied.

Leo and Raph came out next, both of them happy to see their friend.

"Nice of you to make it," Raph said.

"Splinter's waiting for you in the dojo," Leo said. "You want me to show you where it is?"

April nodded. "Sure," she replied. She was little anxious to meet Splinter, but she felt sure she had nothing to fear. She followed Leo to the room that was used as their dojo and watched as Leo bowed upon entering. She copied him and followed him in. She saw a big tree in the room and wondered how it had grown there, but Leo didn't stop there and led her to a door at the end of the dojo.

Leo knocked on the door and a voice said, "Enter." The blue-clad Turtle opened the door and gestured for April to come with him.

"Sensei, our friend April is here," he said. "Come on in, April. Don't be shy."

April took a deep breath and did as Leo asked. She expected to see a man in the room and gasped when she saw a rat instead. He was tall with brown fur interspersed with white and black as well. He was wearing a maroon kimono, and his eyes were brown. They rested on her as she entered the room.

Splinter smiled at her. "Welcome to our home, Miss O'Neil," he said. "It is an honor to have you here."

"Um, thanks," she said.

"I sense you are frightened," Splinter noted. "You have no need to be afraid. I will not harm you."

"I know, it's just that…" she trailed off, not sure how to phrase her sentence.

"You are shocked by my appearance." It wasn't a question but an observation. "Yes, I had a feeling you would be, and I understand why. If you will sit down, I will tell you more about myself and how I came to raise my sons."

April did as Splinter said and listened as he told her of how he had once been a man named Hamato Yoshi and how his rivalry with Oroku Saki had cost him the lives of his wife and daughter and caused him to flee Japan. Then he told of how he had acquired the Turtles and how they had been changed.

"Wow," April whispered. "You went through so much. How can you still stay so happy after all of that?"

"It has not been easy, April," he replied. "I miss my wife and daughter so much, yet I must also remember that I have four sons to care for as well. I know that you have suffered a loss as well, and that it is not easy on you. I am glad that my sons have befriended you and that they will help you to rescue your father. However, there is one thing I must ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Please do not tell anyone of our existence," he replied. "We must not be found down here. The human world above would not understand, and it would be dangerous for us if we were discovered. Can you do this?"

"Yes, Splinter, I promise I won't tell anyone about you," April responded.

"Good," Splinter said as he smiled at her. "You may now go and spend time with my sons."

"Are you coming, too?" she asked him.

"In a moment," he replied.

"Oh, okay," April said. She stood up and was ready to leave when Leo stopped her.

"Wait, you have to bow to him," he prompted. "That's how you show proper respect."

"Sorry," she apologized. She bowed to Splinter, and he stood up and returned it. Then she followed Leo out of the room and back into the living area.

"So, what did you think of Splinter?" Mikey asked once he caught sight of her.

"He's really nice," she answered. "I like him a lot."

"Well, it doesn't look like you were freaked out by him since I didn't hear any screaming," Raph commented. "That's a good start."

"Oh, I was shocked, but I didn't think screaming would really help," she answered. "Besides, he seemed to expect that I'd be freaked out. Why didn't you tell me he was a giant rat?"

"Well, we didn't really know if we'd see you again," Don told her. "Splinter was shocked that we'd met you and was mad at first. But then I told him we had to save you, and he agreed with us."

"But why though? If he's so afraid of humans, why would he want you to save me from the Kraang?"

"I think it's because of the loss he suffered," Leo answered. "He knew we were determined to rescue you, and he decided it would be best for us to do that rather than lose you. I think he's guilty about what happened to his own wife and daughter."

"Well, that sounds reasonable," April commented. "But I'm glad he approves of me and that we can hang out."

"Yeah, that's the best part," said Mikey enthusiastically.

The rest of the time was spent watching TV and eating pizza. Splinter eventually came out and joined them and learned more about April's life and how she'd lost her mother in a car crash and how it was just her and her dad left now. He looked sympathetic, and April felt that he really cared about her. When it was time for her to go home, Splinter told her that she was welcome here at any time as long as she kept the secret. She thanked him and then left with Donnie.

"Thanks for coming down to meet Splinter," Don said. "I think he really appreciated that."

"No problem," she answered. "I really think he's great. I just wish he didn't have to suffer all of that loss like that."

"Yeah, but think of everything he's gained with us," Don noted. "He really cares about us, and I know he cares about you, too. I meant what I said, April. We're going to help you find your dad and bring him back home."

"I know, Donnie, and I appreciate that," she said.

When they reached her room, April smiled and promised to visit again soon. Then she watched Don leave and thought about Splinter's story. He wasn't so different from her in some ways even though he'd been changed like that. He had suffered loss, too, and maybe this is what drew him to her. She just hoped that they could get her dad back so she didn't have to deal with what Splinter had had to endure. She would make it a point to keep the secret and earn Splinter's trust because he truly deserved that much. They all did. With a sigh, April got ready for bed and drifted off to sleep wondering what a new day with her friends would bring.

A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. What did you think? I love having these little insights and I can't wait to bring you more of this story. I wanted to have April meet Splinter because that was something the show forgot to touch upon, so I decided to fill in that particular gap. Hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Breaking the Cycle

A/N: Here's another chapter. This one will take place after Turtle Temper. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT is owned by Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

Raphael sighed as he sat and listened to another episode of Leo's favorite show. He was so sick of Space Heroes, but he knew if he said anything, he'd get yelled at. Besides, he didn't want to lose his temper after having that talk with Splinter. He appreciated what Splinter was trying to teach him and was shocked that the rivalry his sensei had often talked about had started with Splinter losing his temper. Raph didn't want to believe that his father was like that. He seemed so calm all the time, and even when he did get angry, it never lasted for long.

"Raph, are you okay?"

Raph snapped out of his thoughts and saw Leo looking at him. "I'm fine," he replied. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Leo asked him.

"Not anything that concerns you!" Raph snapped, but then he regretted his words. Why did he have to get mad now? He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. "Sorry I snapped at you like that, Leo," he said. "I just was thinking about Splinter."

"Oh, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, he just told me this story, and I can't stop thinking about it," Raph answered. "He told me about how he and Shredder had their rivalry and how it started."

Leo was interested. "What did he say?"

"Well, he said it was because he lost his temper at Shredder," Raph told him.

"Wait, Splinter lost his temper?" Leo asked. "Are you sure you heard that right?"

"Yeah, I heard him just fine," Raph retorted. "He said that Shredder insulted him and Splinter lost his temper. Then the rivalry escalated from there."

"And you're afraid you may become like that?"

"Well, yeah," Raph said softly. "I mean, look how I acted over a video. Look how I get mad at Mikey when he pulls a prank or at Donnie for not talking normal or even at how I get mad at you sometimes. I just don't want my temper to cause us to fall apart, you know?"

Leo came over and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You won't be like that, Raph," he reassured him. "I know you won't. Splinter may have made a mistake back then, but he's learned from it, and he's done a great job raising us. And even though you have a temper at times, you're still fun to be around. I mean, you let me watch Space Heroes even if you don't like it, and you still play games with Mikey and listen to Donnie when he has an idea for a project. You're learning to control your temper, and that's the best thing you can do. Just remember that we still love you no matter what."

Raph smiled. "Thanks, Leo," he said. "You may be a pain in the shell at times, but you do know how to make someone feel better."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for," Leo answered.

"Yeah, I know," Raph replied. "Now, go watch your stupid show before I change the channel."

Leo laughed and turned back to his program while Raph returned to his comic. But even as he did so, he couldn't help but glance up at the TV once in a while. He'd never admit it to Leo, but he actually liked Space Heroes and felt that someday Leo would be a good leader like Captain Ryan. He just hoped that he wouldn't make Splinter's mistake and resolved to control his temper better no matter how mad he'd get at one of his brothers. It was the only way to break the cycle of hatred that had cost Splinter everything. He was determined not to have the same thing happen to him.

A/N: Yay, another chapter done. I can't believe how fast I'm getting these stories out. I really liked writing this one a lot, and I think it's something Raph would fear after what happened in that episode. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


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